Saturday, February 24, 2007 Libre: People power and elections By Mel Libre Seriously Now
THIS is the second time in two years that I won’t be able to celebrate in Cebu the anniversary of People Power I. Since 1986, I had made commemorating the event together with musician friends in “Yukbo: Ang Konsiyerto” an annual ritual. It was meant to remind people of the time we Filipinos stood proud and of what we can do if we willed it.
Preparation usually started early January, and it was amazing how things just moved into their proper places with the support of individuals, institutions and companies who believed in the annual exercise. The most memorable were the People Power re-enactments and the last one in 2005 with the Dibutaw Festival.
One time, a high ranking city official forced us to dismantle the stage and transfer inside Fuente Osmeña. In another instance, the Provincial Government failed to construct the promised stage forcing my friend, Manny Rios, who was then president of RC Cola, to order his people to build the structure just a few hours before the start of the concert. And how can I forget the two City Hall officials who thought they could stop the holding of the celebration by cutting off funding?
Each obstacle that we went through only strengthened my faith in God who always came to help through countless good servants.
What is surprising is that this year President Arroyo proclaimed a weeklong observance of People Power I, which is a first. Either the President was enlightened on the significance of that historic event or she is using it as a propaganda tool for the coming election. And if only to steal the thunder from the President, the political opposition has chosen Feb. 25 as the date for the official proclamation of its senatorial slate.
Sadly, these politicians have made a mockery of that spontaneous gathering in 1986 of a million citizens who were willing to die for a better future for this country. Of the candidates for senators, I think one or two maybe willing to die for a good cause but the rest are “political chameleons” who change party affiliation as the need arises.
It is difficult to see the true character and expose the moral foundation of each aspirant especially because of the advertising gimmicks of the candidates. Elections have become talent shows more than quests by idealistic individuals. These have become more about having good TV projection than having good platform of government.
Elections now are about singing in tune rather than delivering a speech of note, or about shaking people’s hands instead of shaking people so they see the real problems of this nation. These are now about today’s entertainment, not about tomorrow’s reality.
Ideally, what are elections? Elections are when People Power is constitutionally exercised. We do not need to go to Edsa to seek change; the voting precinct is a sacred ground. If we were able to stop tanks and combat soldiers, so can we stop fraud and vote buying. And if we prayed hard during People Power, we must pray harder during elections.
